Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics (Switch) review "There’s little Risk here, though you might find this a welcome excursion during the Pandemic-and maybe even afterward."

The Switch has changed gaming practicality more so than any other platform before it, and Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics aims to exploit that portability with digital conversions of supposedly "timeless" tabletop games. Top 10s don't feature many of these, so I guess there’s little Risk here, though you might find this a welcome excursion during the Pandemic-and maybe even afterward. Naturally, nothing is perfect and there are some things for which NDcube may need to be Sorry!

Somehow, 51 Worldwide Classics encouraged my wife and I to purchase a second Switch system just for 6 Ball Puzzle, a “falling objects” game. Oh, I have complaints and the entertainment value is a Scrabble. Part of the fun of board games is the Operation of tactile experience and social interaction that comes with it, something sorely lacking by virtue of the platform.



There are, as promised, 51 games to choose from, ranging from well-established card games such as Go Fish-called “Matching” here, Speed and Takoyaki. The good news is that these are truly popular games, even lacking their copyrighted monikers. Some are public domain and can be presented in familiar terms, such as Mancala, Dots and Boxes, Checkers, Chess and so forth.

51 Worldwide Classics has gathered in some sports because they count as well, right? Perhaps Chutes (or Snakes) and Ladders couldn’t be adapted without incurring the fury of the rights holders, or maybe the cross section of games was intended to invite a larger audience. Examples of these include Golf, Billiards, Bowling, Darts and Carrom. Moving on, there are “Toy” versions of even more grandiose sports such as Tennis, Soccer, Curling, Boxing and Baseball. None of these are especially fun. Maybe for the younger set, but they’re probably busy playing Minecraft, Fortnight or Roblox, anyway.



The selection gets even more eclectic: Air Hockey, Slot Cars and Fishing. It must be said that NDcube has made an evocative analog here: Air Hockey is a blast, but lacks the physical response that makes it thrilling. Slot Cars controls like the real thing and is entertaining in ten-minute stretches before you set it down to do something else. Fishing? Well, that’s fishing. I didn’t even touch it.

Battle Tanks and Team Tanks appear after the manner of Combat! on the Atari 2600. The mechanics are the same, even if the graphics and physics are a far sight improved. Oddly, Shooting Gallery from the Wii days makes a showing, if you go for that sort of thing. We move on from there to 6 Ball Puzzle, which my wife and I found to be engrossing. Five coloured balls drop from the top of the screen and you must connect matching colours in one of several shapes comprising six balls.



I was chided for holding back, initially, being a Tetris master. Once again I had the reflex advantage, but over the months she has stepped up to be my equal and though I win more often than I lose, I need to stay sharp to keep ahead. We also very much enjoy the competition. I love to see her skill improve and am happy to be her cheerleader. It is a philosophical thing reflected in our relationship and a choice on my part.

The last stretch of games worth a mention are the Solitaires; Mahjong, Klondike and Spider. Also, there’s a piano game, which might have some utility for goofing around even if its inclusion makes little sense. I guess 51 is better than 50? So, we have a healthy roster of games to choose from. How about that presentation?

How about trying too hard? Initially launch your given the rundown of how the whole system functions by little plastic figures that are voiced by enthusiastic if hapless performers. Some are adults, some are kids, and all are stereotypes enough to annoy average players. The performances and audio quality are fine, but you cannot skip them when launching a game. Ever! I have to say that’s Balderdash. About the hundredth time you have heard “Oooh, is this a falling object game?” you’re ready to smash the skip button.



NDcube didn’t consider that some of their players may be well advanced and accustomed to “skip this cutscene” or “skip all played cutscene” options. A few of these would not have been a Trivial Pursuit for a configuration screen. Some volume control for the music, maybe? On that note, I am glad there is no achievement system for this game. The pickup-and-play mentality suits the content well.

There is only one technical fault of note that marred our experience. In no way should multiplayer games be stuttering between two full copies played on local network. Even with patches issued, we did not notice any difference improvement of the occasionally debilitating frame rate drops that would last ten seconds or more.



Speaking of versions, there is a Demo that allows players to experience a handful of the games for free. You can even hook up to others who have the full version, though you are still limited to that handful of games. If I haven’t mentioned the music, it is because it is competent but not memorable. I enjoyed the clever use of liet motif between menus, but I haven’t sought the original soundtrack to add to my library. Music that does its job is just fine, promoting a calm, thoughtful and even pleasant mood for players to jostle over.

Not being a fan of the presentation does not besmirch the faithful adaptation of these popular games. There is a lot of fun to be had here if you expect to be travelling, but this is not a single player venture. Be prepared to share the experience, because this is when this title is at its best. The demo is certainly worth a look to give you a taste of what is on offer.

Tweet

Community review by hastypixels (August 17, 2022) Wisdom comes from effort and mistakes.